Colorado eyes edibles rules as more people eat pot

By Associated Press&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Thu 11:46 AM, May 01, 2014

DENVER (AP) -- Colorado's marijuana experiment is threatened by the popularity of eating it instead of smoking it, leading the pot industry to join health officials and state regulators to try to curb the problem of consumers ingesting too much.

A task force gathered Wednesday to start brainstorming ways to educate consumers, including a standard warning system on popular edibles, which is the industry term for marijuana that has been concentrated and infused into food or drink.

One idea was to fashion labels on edible pot like the difficulty guidelines on ski slopes, a system familiar to Colorado residents. Weak marijuana products would have green dots, grading up to black diamonds for the most potent edibles.

Marijuana-infused foods are booming in the state's new recreational market.

Some choose edible pot because of health concerns about smoking the drug. Others are visitors who can't find a hotel that allows toking and are stymied by a law barring public outdoor pot smoking. Whether through inexperience or confusion, many are eating too much pot too quickly, with potentially deadly consequences.

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